Ahern voted Statesman of Year

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has been voted Statesman of the Year by the readers of the European Voice newspaper.

Mr Ahern had been nominated for the award for “resurrecting and resolving” the negotiations over the proposed EU constitution during Ireland’s recent presidency of the EU.

He beat off competition from British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer among others.